Before I start this review, let’s go over a normal plot line of a normal book. In an average book, there’s usually a proper plot line which consists of this:
Exposition: you introduce the setting, characters, etc…
Conflict: this can be one major problem and minor problems that the character(s) faces here and there
Rising Action: where the story begins to pick up it’s pace
Climax: the turning point, where the audience is at the edge of his/her seat
Falling Action: where the conflict seems to be getting resolved, and finally the
Resolution: where everything is tied up together.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (hereby will be referred to as TCIDN), written by Mark Haddon, differs in the way that instead of it being a proper story throughout, it instead talks about a person’s life. It’s sort of like a journal for Christopher Boone (the narrator). Don’t get me a wrong – there is an exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, etc….but the only part that differs in my opinion is the resolution. In TCIDN, the resolution does occur, but it gives you this message: Life goes on.
At this point you guys might be wondering what this story is about. Well, to start off it’s about a 15-year old boy who has a developmental disorder called Asperger’s Syndrome. In this condition, you’re basically very socially restrained and shy, but at the same time, the boy, Christopher, is extremely intelligent. Also, he is planning to take a test called the A-level exams for math and this is a big deal for him because he wants to prove that he is very smart as well.
The story begins with him finding a dead dog in one of his neighbor’s garden and he tries to figure out who killed the dog. We learn a bit more about Christopher’s life including his mother’s “death” which is kind of the stepping stone of this story. He later finds out that his mother was having an extra-marital affair with his neighbor’s husband and she ran away with him. Christopher’s father decides to make the news easier on Christopher and tells him that his mother had died of a heart attack, and this is what Christopher is lead to believe for 2 years. The turn of events takes place when Christopher accidentally discovers that his mother has been writing to him every week and his father has hid her letters in order to not hurt him.
Eventually, Christopher finds out who has killed the dog in the beginning of the story which unravels a whole new series of events. This involves him going on a trip to live with his mother because he feels unsafe around his father. The middle part of the book basically takes you through his adventure through London, and remember: this boy has a disorder which makes him socially awkward and he doesn’t like to be touched, doesn’t like crowds, and doesn’t like to talk to strangers.
The novel ends with Christopher planning to take more A-level exams in physics and further math, and then attend a university in another town. He knows that he can do all of this because he solves the mystery of Wellington’s (the dog’s) murder, was brave enough to find his mother, and wrote the book that we have read. Instead of just wrapping up this novel, Christopher actually talks about how he wants to continue living his life and what he wants to do in the future – and this is what makes it really different than your average novel. It looks in to the future and doesn’t just end in the present.
TCIDN a beautiful novel to be honest and some parts really just tug at your heartstrings. Yes there is a bit of not-so-good language in there, but that is the thing about this story that makes it real. Christopher’s journey is not only just another trip, it’s more than that. It’s inspiring. The way he struggles to become independent, the way he tries to cope with the loss of his mother who was believed by him to be dead, and him just dealing with his disorder just makes this novel so inspiring and encouraging.
The writing style of the story and the way it is told through Christopher’s eyes is really sweet. His way of talking is just filled with simplicity and you can’t help but get caught up in the novel that you feel as if though you are right next to him, seeing and talking and thinking just as he is.
Towards the end of TCIDN, I was literally so happy to see that he achieves so many of his goals and though you may not see a change with the way he does things, you know that something about him still is a bit different. Time changes everything, and that is another major theme of the novel.
